At just 22-years-old, singer-songwriter Cannon Rogers has already helmed CannonandtheBoxes for six years. Starting out as a solo artist in Rome, GA, Rogers cut his teeth in high school, recording homemade demos and performing in living rooms. After moving to Athens to attend the University of Georgia, he met drummer Hayden Johnson, and together the pair began churning out rousing tunes that blended elements of modern folk and Americana with fuzzy DIY punk. In 2020, the project released its debut EP I Only See the Stars on We Bought a Zoo Records, the fledgling label organized by musician/producer/engineer Tommy Trautwein of Well Kept. The five-song effort showcased a group that was both earnest and fun-loving, one willing to carve out equal space for rollicking anthems and hushed acoustic confessionals alike.

Released this past December, “Pastel Houses” finds CannonandtheBoxes exploring the more energizing side of their songwriting. Overblown guitars and Rogers’ heartfelt vocals provide the backbone, with perky strings serving as a vibrant accompaniment to the song’s driving grooves. The end result is dynamic and loose, a compelling outpouring of intimate revelations and raw emotion.

Shot live at We Bought a Zoo Records by Jason Goana, the accompanying video is perhaps the ideal introduction to the project’s mix of folksy charm and scrappy intensity. Like much of the project’s output, the track was a collaborative endeavor. Joining Rogers in the studio were bandmates Johnson and Jordi Lara, as well as fellow Athens compatriots Trautwein, Jessica Thompson (Hotel Fiction), and Will Ruff (Family Recipe). Their collective performance is endearingly roughshod, channeling a spirit of exultation and warm camaraderie.

“‘Pastel Houses’ was written and recorded post-pandemic and the shutdown of local (and really all) music, so we had never played the tune live beyond Hayden and I goofing off at our house,” says Rogers. “After tracking guitar and synths for another video I was asked to do with Jason and Tommy, I knew I wanted to work with them on making something sonically interesting but still true to what CannonandtheBoxes sounds like live—even if we didn’t really know what that was at the time. Having everyone in the room, or stuck in the control booth in our string players’ cases, was truly magical… I can’t thank Tommy, Jessica, and Will enough for lending their talents to my passion project that has a seemingly ever-changing lineup, but that seems to be working out for the best.”

Watch/listen above.

CannonandtheBoxes are currently working towards the release of a B-sides and rarities record entitled The Wonder Years, due out this April.

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